


handle with care

by mikedodds



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, M/M, Non-Sexual Age Play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:02:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23895760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikedodds/pseuds/mikedodds
Summary: "I like to just… go back to being a kid." The Sergeant gestured to the TV and let out a shaky breath. "I get comfy and watch kid's TV, or draw something badly."
Relationships: Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr./Mike Dodds
Comments: 9
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> please keep any kind of kink thing 473929474 meters away from this fic thank u very much
> 
> also there is not a lot of romance here, the focus is very much on babying mike dodds bc i just think that he deserrves it uwu

Last night, Sonny came home to Mike to find him dressed in only a plain white t-shirt and blue pyjama shorts, laying across the entire couch and angled towards the TV to watch cartoons with all the enthusiasm of a small child. He hadn't been at work on account of a mild injury, as he'd been strongly advised to take at least a couple of days off. Sonny remembers the way Mike had carefully rolled over to face Sonny stood in the doorway, and how he'd slowly uttered 'I lost track of time' before his eyes welled up and Sonny had to figure out what the hell all of this meant.

Had it just been the pyjamas alone and Sonny would not have thought anything more significant than Mike simply getting tired earlier than usual. The pyjamas and the cartoons? A little weird but not exactly cause for concern. Pyjamas, plus cartoons, plus the slow, hazy movements and instant need to find an excuse closely followed up with tears? Sonny had dumped his coat and slid out of his shoes to rush to Mike's side faster than he could think of something comforting to say. He hadn't said anything, actually - just knelt down beside the couch and held Mike's head to his chest while he sniffled.

"I-- I was gonna be dressed." Mike said, his voice shaky and breathless. "I lost track of time." He repeated. Sonny petted his hair carefully, pleased with the way it seemed to settle Mike's breathing.

"You're okay, Mikey." Sonny finally said, using his free hand to give Mike's hand a squeeze.

"I guess I'd better explain." Mike reluctantly pried himself from Sonny's supportive arms and sat back up along the couch. Sonny watched with curious eyes, the same sparkle with which he watched victims explain their stories, offering the same comfort and safety to Mike despite the underlying but well hidden confusion.

"For the past… ten? Years of my life, I noticed--" Mike tried to swallow back the knot forming in his throat before trying again. "It's really weird, and I'm sorry--"

"Mikey." Sonny returned a hand to Mike's back and rubbed it gently.

"I like to just… go back to being a kid." The Sergeant gestured to the TV and let out a shaky breath. "I get comfy and watch kid's TV, or draw something badly, or just--"

Sonny hummed quietly and nodded for him to continue.

"Just… curl up, and cry, and pretend I'm really small." Instinctively, Mike had shrunk into Sonny's arms and allowed himself to be held again, and Sonny thought he understood. Only a little, but it explained what he'd walked into.

"It's okay Mikey, you're okay." Sonny repeated, his working theory now being that he'd probably like to be called such a childish nickname. Mike hummed his response and Sonny went back to intermittently petting his hair. "D'you like to be called 'Mikey' too?"

Mike nodded wordlessly. For a while, Sonny didn't know what else to say, how to help or what to do to move on. He knew Mike had intended to hide it from him, and had so far clearly done a good enough job of it, but now it was something Sonny knew he needed to acknowledge - and he was more than happy to.

"What's your favourite cartoon, Mikey?" Sonny asked softly when the other man shifted in his arms.

"Used to be G.I. Joe." Mike mumbled, and it took Sonny repressing an inappropriately timed smirk and a couple more silent moments to calculate that perhaps growing older in their line of work had tainted it somewhat. He mentally paired this theory up with the memory of the cartoon he had initially walked in on - a far cry from true American masculinity and he was fairly sure Mike would say it himself if he felt comfortable enough to do so.

"So what is it now?" Sonny coaxed, his voice gentle.

"Y'saw it." Mike's voice was barely audible as he clung to Sonny's arms, still refusing to name the cartoon directly.

"Hey, well that's just swell." Sonny offered a brief supportive squeeze. "Well, you know, maybe we can visit Amanda and baby Jesse and you can watch, uh, My Little Pony together. She'd love it."

Mike tensed and shook his head. "Think Jesse's--" His breath hitched. "Think she's a bit too young…"

"Naw, all kids love cartoons." Sonny smiled and ran a hand through Mike's hair while looking down at him, and Mike looked up to meet his gaze. "But we can think about that later, huh?"

Mike nodded and failed to suppress a hiccup caused by his sporadic crying. 

"Are you sleepy?" Sonny asked, slowly separating himself from Mike and standing to his feet. "Hey, you know what? I bought stuff for Jesse a while back and I got the wrong end of the stick - I bought stuff for a boy. I mean, not that it matters, but I heard Amanda say some stuff and figured she didn't need to know." Sonny paused to see Mike staring intently at him while he listened.  _ The most obedient kid in the world _ , Sonny thought.

"I never got rid of that stuff. I got kiddie cutlery. There's a Paw Patrol stuffie. I'll go get it." Sonny had a bounce in his step as he strode over to a freestanding wardrobe he barely ever used and pulled out a couple of carrier bags. When he returned to the couch, Mike was perched cross-legged in the center with a small tentative smile on his face. First, Sonny collected the small plate and kid-friendly cutlery set and showed it to Mike before placing it out of the way on the coffee table.

"Cute, right?" Sonny exclaimed, satisfied with Mike's silent nods. Then, Sonny sought out the aforementioned plushy police dog, waving it around before playfully tossing it to Mike and watching how he inspected it closely and held it in his lap. "I dunno anythin' about those b--" Sonny stopped himself, frowning with uncertainty but not finding any hint of discomfort with Mike - more than anything he just appeared confused.

"The… cop dogs." Sonny waved a hand around. "Paw Patrol. I dunno anythin' about it, but I bet that one's a Sergeant." He gestured to the toy in Mike's hand and his smile broadened in recognition. Sonny was satisfied with his diversion but still, he wondered how exactly Mike felt about swearing while he was like this. It seemed wrong to show him toys and cartoons and then flippantly refer to them as 'bastards' like adults sharing a joke might. It was an odd feeling, but Sonny didn't dwell on it for much longer when he found a relatively small blue blanket and extracted it from the assortment of other things in the bag. He had previously considered still giving this item to Jesse, but for some reason held onto it and the thought caused him to let out a very brief laugh.

"Hey, Mikey, you're in luck." He unfolded it to full length, which was plenty long enough for an actual 3 year old, and leaned up to the couch to wrap it around Mike's shoulders.

"Thanks, --" Mike stopped abruptly and frowned. Sonny also looked on in confusion, then froze.

"Oh." Sonny didn't know what to suggest. He'd always been pretty good at improvising - hell, this whole evening was one big improvisation - but he had  _ no idea  _ what direction to take this in. "What, uh, what d'you wanna call me?"

"Dunno." Mike shrugged and stared down at the toy in his hands as if it would give him the answer. "I never had a caregiver before."

"Caregiver…" Sonny repeated, eyebrows raised and deep in thought. It had all happened very fast, and it's not like Sonny wasn't happy to help and offer comfort, but he hadn't considered quite how deeply his support might be taken. He knew as boyfriends things were pretty serious - they'd been living together for several months and they told each other they loved each other with all the warmth and sincerity in the world every morning and every evening. 'Caregiver' just seemed like a heavy word that was laced with responsibility, and Sonny had no idea if he knew enough about whatever this was to be supportive enough, or if he was simply overthinking and all he had to do… was this. He just didn't want Mike to feel alone.

Which of course, he had been. Even when Sonny was with him, Mike had been alone. 

"Caregiver." Sonny said again, with much more certainty and assurance while nodding slowly. "What would you call me if you weren't afraid of what I might think?"

Mike hesitated for several moments before finally responding. "Pop." He said quietly.

"Sure, Mikey." Sonny smiled widely, and reached out to pat his blanketed shoulder. "D'you like the blankey?"

Mike nodded vigorously and smiled, still fiddling with the plushy dog. Sonny went back to rifling through the carrier bags.

"Well, there's not much else left. Just pacifiers and baby rattles, an' I assume those are probably a bit too young for you--"

Mike made a high-pitched noise Sonny didn't recognize and he looked up suddenly to see his surprised expression. After a few blinks - Sonny had quickly learned Mike preferred not to say very much - he realized he probably shouldn't have just assumed that.

"You, uh, want 'da pacifier?" Sonny asked carefully, reaching into the bag to pull out one decorated with blue clouds. Mike nodded with much less fervour, uncertain and afraid, but Sonny's eyes lit up and he offered his classically comforting smile that settled Mike back into safety. "Sure thing, Mikey." He added, pulling off the packaging and standing up to visit the kitchen.

Mike made another noise - a sad whimper - and Sonny hesitated.

"S'okay Mikey, I just gotta give it a wash. It really has been in that bag a long time, I don't wanna give you a tummy bug." He called, continuing in his path and fulfilling his task. When he returned, Mike turned to watch him step around the sofa and the discarded items on the floor to kneel in front of the couch and offer the pacifier to him. Sonny held it up by the ring in front of Mike's face, who leaned forward and grabbed it with his teeth, settling it in his mouth and sucking on it gently. All the tension of probably the whole week gradually left Mike's body as he visibly relaxed, and Sonny wondered if anyone else in the whole world could look as precious and innocent as his Mikey did just now.

_ His  _ Mikey. His little, tiny Mikey. Not Sergeant Michel Dodds, son of the Deputy Chief William Dodds. Just this small shell of a man who almost cried if Sonny left him alone too long, and giggled sweetly at the cheesy innocent jokes told in children's cartoons. Sonny felt mild panic rise in his chest as he climbed up onto the couch and wrapped himself around Mike so that he could relax better and close his eyes. Sonny didn't want to let his sour taste of the world taint how innocent this moment was, but there was something mildly unsettling about the whole situation. Sonny wondered why - he'd heard of a lot of different coping mechanisms and clearly this was one of them, but why? What was he coping with? What had hurt little Mikey so bad as a kid that he needed to go back there and make it all better? Maybe he  _ hadn't _ been hurt as a kid but the hurt he faced as an adult was too much to deal with and so instead he hid from it with cartoons and puppies and pacifiers. Sonny clenched his jaw and without thinking, he pressed a kiss to the top of Mike's head.

It didn't really matter, not right now, but Sonny would like to get to the bottom of it eventually. For now though, he could quite happily listen to the sounds of Mike's gentle and even breaths, and the soft sleeping noises he made that reminded Sonny this was the most peaceful nap he'd heard from Mike in a while. When Sonny looked down at him, his eyes were still damp and occasionally a small tear would roll away down his cheek, but Mike wasn't sobbing or sniffling. 

"Good boy." Sonny mumbled into his hair while he rocked them both very gently from side to side. "Such a good boy. Pop loves you."

🍼🦄⭐

The following day at work, Dodds and Carisi manage their jobs like they always have done - Dodds even has an extra spring in his step, he focuses on the conflicting stories better than he ever has and arrives at a conclusion no one had thought of yet. The victims  _ were  _ playing them, but only out of fear. Getting to the truth is all in a day's work for SVU, and it makes Dodds' heart swell with pride. He has a good squad.

"Good job." Carisi says, patting the Sergeant on the back when he approaches his desk. A small smile forms on Mike's face and he looks down at the floor. Carisi lowers the volume of his voice before speaking again. "I meant to ask this morning but, what do you do if you feel small at work?"

Mike shrugs. "It's just like any other emotional state - you just gotta take a moment and pull yourself together."

"Oh right." Carisi nods. "Is there anythin' that triggers it?"

"D'you mind if we talk about this later?" Mike mumbles when he notices Amanda's footsteps approaching. Carisi turns and nods, greeting Amanda and sharing her glee at the resolution of the day's case.

"Well, I'm not celebratin' for too long. The paperwork is gonna suck." Amanda says as she smirks. "Still, good job Sarge." She adds, patting Mike on the shoulder. He blinks, then settles into a smile

"How's Jesse?" Sonny asks.

"Oh, she's great." Amanda laughs distantly. "Someone got her a… 'My Little Pony' singing toy and she just doesn't stop squeezing it. Damn thing never stops singing."

"Poor you." Sonny laughs, discreetly casting a glance to Mike. His eyes are glassy but he smiles and nods in all the right places.

"Nah, poor babysitter." Amanda corrects. "By the time I get home, she's fast asleep and I can hide that thing in a laundry basket 'til morning." 

"Oh." Sonny grins.

"Well, I'd better get home but, uh, see y'all tomorrow." She nods towards Mike, who quietly wishes her goodnight. Sonny waves a hand at her and smiles as she turns to leave. Eventually, Sonny has to break the silence that has fallen over them.

"Was that bad?" He asks carefully.

"No." Mike swallows and scrunches his face up a little. "Actually, I--" 

Sonny hums inquisitively, encouraging him to continue.

"I wondered if we could get something like that." Mike can't help feeling silly for asking such a thing anyway, nevermind out in the open at their place of work no less. Sonny laughs heartily, and pats a gentle hand to Mike's back.

"You know it was me that bought Jesse that toy, right?" Sonny amusedly grabs his jacket from the back of his chair and wriggles into it. Mike smirks. "What can I say? Kids love my choice in toys." 

Sonny tells Mike they'll take a detour to what he cites as 'all kids favourite toy store' on their route home, and Mike can't help the big smile that spreads across his face at Sonny's implication that he too, is a kid just like Jesse. At least for the time being, and any other time that he likes.

🍼🦄⭐

It doesn't take long for a routine to form. For the most part, Mike is small towards the end of the week and later in the evenings - apart from some weekends, when settling down after a bad week necessitates a full day of childhood activities.

Sonny hadn't had a clue what he was doing when the situation first presented itself - and frankly neither had Mike - but despite any difficulties they faced, Sonny was thrilled to be Mike's designated caregiver. On the whole it was fun and ignited his own sense of childlike wonder, not to mention the relief it eventually brought to Mike once all the tears were out of the way and the boy was comfy. Sonny  _ did  _ spoil him rotten with expensive toys and comforts - the latest being a night sky projector for when Mike had trouble sleeping. It was calming and if Mike was feeling especially small, there was the option for the device to play a little music box lullaby.

Mike loved to wander around the flat with the Paw Patrol toy - affectionately dubbed _Sergeant Dogs_ - in his hand and his dummy hanging out of his mouth. He'd perch himself onto a chair at the breakfast bar and watch Sonny cooking pasta, or even breakfast if he had managed to wake up early enough. He'd eat off his small blue plastic plate with his kid-sized cutlery, and sip orange juice from a pretty little sippy cup. 

Mike's favourite pony is Rainbow Dash, Sonny had learnt, and when he and his brother were young, Matt had traded his own toys at school to get the old 80s generation ponies for Mike. Mike had been so grateful, he saved all his pocket money and spent it on a brand new G.I. Joe toy for Matt. It was all very well and good, but Mike was the only one that wound up on the receiving end of a bizarre conversation about gender roles from his father, who had stumbled upon the shoe box full of ponies under Mike's bed when he was twelve. As soon as Mike had shared this memory, he furrowed his eyebrows and hugged  _ Sergeant Dogs _ to his chest.

If there's one thing Sonny is grateful for, at least temporarily if he doesn't think too deeply about the potential reasons why, it's Mike's amazing temperament when he's small. He doesn't make his singing toys sing any more than is necessary, he isn't loud, he doesn't argue or fight, he doesn't even say a great deal of words. It makes everything a whole lot easier, but sometimes it has Sonny wondering in the back of his mind whether it would actually be better if Mike  _ did  _ act out on occasion. It's what kids are supposed to do, right?

🍼🦄⭐

It's late at night and Mike is having a bad time again - he can't close his eyes without images he'd rather forget storming through his mind and corrupting his thoughts. His heart races and he curls up into himself at the edge of the bed, unintentionally as far away from Sonny as possible.

"Mike?" Sonny whispers when he's awoken by the pull of the sheets and constant movement from the other side of the bed. All he gets is a sad whimper in response, and Sonny feels a horrible pang in his chest. He sits up, slowly coming around, but his voice is hoarse in that tired way. "S'alright Mikey. D'you wanna get comfy?"

Sonny can just make out the nod of Mike's head in the dark, and he clambers out of bed to turn on the nightlight and retrieve Mike's stuff. When he has everything, he returns to the bed and pries the sheets from Mike's clutch until he's just laying there. His eyes are damp, his cheeks are stained with tears and he looks lost - a sight that churns Sonny's stomach as he gently coaxes him to sit up against a nest of pillows. He gives Mike his favourite pacifier, and lays out multiple blankets along his body. They're the softest kind, instantly soothing to the touch and smelling of fabric conditioner. Finally,  _ Sergeant Dogs _ is placed in Mike's lap and after pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, Sonny stands up and heads for the kitchen.

He heats a cup's worth of milk in his milk heater (earlier this week, Mike had light-heartedly poked fun at him for being too fancy for a saucepan), pours it into a baby bottle and twists the lid on tightly. He tips it upside-down just to make sure it's not leaky and once he's satisfied with the results, he returns back to the bedroom with it. Immediately, Sonny notices Mike isn't crying anymore and relief washes over him. He's still awake, but now he's focussing on the feeling of soft fabric against his arms and the soothing habit of sucking a pacifier. His sleepy eyes immediately locate Sonny and he watches as he makes his way around the room and climbs back into bed alongside him.

"Gotcha warm milk." Sonny says, holding it in front of Mike who smiles behind his dummy. He takes it and rests it in his lap alongside  _ Sergeant Dogs,  _ letting out a soft giggle at the warmth it radiates. Sonny rests his own pillows against the headboard so he can sit up beside Mike, and takes Mike's lingering hand into his own to hold and occasionally squeeze. Sonny is dozing off when Mike mumbles something incomprehensible - it wakes him, but Mike can tell he didn't understand, so he mumbles again while this time bringing Sonny's hand to his milk bottle.

Sonny suddenly understands, and his stomach twists with nerves. "D'you, uh, want me to…feed you?" 

Mike simply nods gingerly.

"Oh, well, I can do that." He's not sure if he's telling Mike that or convincing himself he won't fuck it up somehow, but he's always been good at fudging. All he's ever done in these scenarios is fudge it. Besides, Mike just needs comforting and Sonny is never not willing to do that - it comes naturally to him.

Sonny repositions himself so he's sitting cross-legged beside Mike, but facing him. He very gently tugs the pacifier out of Mike's mouth and reaches behind himself to put it on the bedside table, all the while Mike gazes at him with a hazy expression. Sonny notices, lifts his hand to Mike's hair and brushes through it.

"Sweet baby." He says, softly. Then, he takes the bottle and directs the mouthpiece to Mike, tipping it up gently. Mike lets his eyelids flutter shut while he drinks, and Sonny once again finds himself wanting to tear up a little at the pure sight, but he manages to keep it together for the time being. It isn't long before Mike opens his eyes and gently pushes the bottle away, smiling sweetly up at Sonny. The latter smiles back instinctively and brushes his hand through Mike's hair again.

"Good boy." Sonny says, planting a kiss to his forehead. "D'you think you can sleep now?"

Mike nods, his eyes fluttering shut again.

"Okay, good, we'll readjust your pillows though so you don't get back-ache."

Once they're settled, it's even less time before Sonny hears Mike's soft sleeping breaths and hums, and while he himself slowly drifts back to sleep, he notices how much less - if at all - Mike moves around in his slumber.

🍼🦄⭐

The next morning, they're both tired as hell, and neither of them get out of bed until around 11am. It's fine because it's a weekend, but they don't want to mess up their sleep schedule too badly. When Sonny wakes up, he rolls over to face his sleeping partner and he smiles at the sight. Mike's clutching  _ Sergeant Dogs  _ to his chest and he's idly chewing on the corner of its ear. As though he's aware he's being watched, Mike opens his eyes slowly and smiles up at Sonny.

"Morning." Sonny says, leaning across to kiss Mike's cheek. The latter shifts and kisses back, sleepily aiming for Sonny's cheek or nose (or maybe just somewhere in-between).

"Sorry about last night." Mike mumbles, once Sonny is done giggling at his sleepy misplaced kiss.

"Why?" Sonny asks, sitting up in the bed. Mike follows suit, rubbing his eyes and positioning himself in front of Sonny.

"'Cause…" He trails off and shrugs. "It was probably 3am or something ridiculous and then I just asked you to--" He hides his face behind his hand. Sonny raises his eyebrows and gently pries Mike's hand away so he can kiss his cheeks and the bridge of his nose.

"Mikey…" He says into his face. "You looked upset, I wasn't gonna just ignore you." Mike shuts his eyes as Sonny brushes a hand through his hair. "I always wanna comfort you and make you feel better, 'cause I love you."

"I love you too." Mike mumbles, looking up to meet Sonny's gaze. "I love you so much."

Sonny beams. "Anyway, it sounds like it helped. I didn't hear you movin' around so much in bed afterwards." 

"Yeah, it did." Mike nods. "When I'm small, my whole mind just… shifts. It's bad at work because I can't think about things properly, but that's why it helps. Before you found out, it was a lot harder. I didn't have any of the stuff I have now and mostly I'd just have to cry it out."

"Like any kid without a carer." Sonny comments. "Crying  _ is  _ a comfort, but…" 

"I love you Sonny, I don't know what I would do without you."

"I love you too, Mike. You're the most precious person in my life, I can't put into words how much you mean to me." He punctuates his statement by pulling Mike into his arms and briefly kissing him. Mike wraps his arms around Sonny, clinging on tightly and pressing kisses to his neck and shoulder, and whatever inch of him he can kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't the chapter I expected to upload next... But I got a little too in my feelings while I was writing. Anyway, I finally invested in a pacifier for myself and when I read the instructions because I'm a dork, it said "do NOT dip in sugar, it is bad for teeth." So of course I went ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) and did exactly that.
> 
> But for real, heed the advice.

When Sonny and Mike come home after a difficult case involving a tight knit family and two young children, Mike more or less collapses onto the couch in a vaguely dissociative haze. The Sergeant has put a lot of mental energy into this one, albeit giving it a 'good' ending or at least the best ending possible, but now he just needs to rest. Everything.

He hasn't spoken for the whole journey home, and Sonny is very much used to how that translates, so he'd offered him gentle arm rubs and periodically hushed words of comfort. Now Mike rolls over onto his back on the couch, looking up at Sonny with wide eyes as the latter leans over the back of the couch.

"Hello." Sonny says. Mike silently waves a hand at him, and Sonny leans down to press a long gentle kiss to Mike's forehead.

It doesn't take long for Mike to fall asleep there, but Sonny still collects Sergeant Dogs and a pacifier, tucking the former into Mike's arms and leaving the latter on the coffee table beside him. Mike would know it was there if he woke up wanting it.

It's peaceful for a long time - Sonny does a few quiet household chores and catches up on some garbage TV he missed on his laptop. He finds keeping his mind busy is much better for moving on from such a disturbing case, although he stopped watching dating shows a long time ago. When the show ends and Sonny feels more tired than anything, he closes the lid of his laptop with a sudden click, seemingly causing Mike to stir. 

"Sorry." Sonny whispers, glancing over to the couch. Mike stirs again, subconsciously hugging Sergeant Dogs closer to him and mumbling something incomprehensible. Sonny stays to watch, just in case it's a bad dream.

"D-don't. Touch." Mike grumbles more clearly, curling into himself. "Hurts. Hurts." Mike repeats.

Sonny couldn't have jumped up faster. "Hey Mikey." He says softly, gently holding his shoulders and rubbing. "It's okay. I'm here. It's just a dream."

As Mike slowly wakes up, his muttering becomes less coherent once he realizes he's safe, but his eyes are damp and he stares at Sonny's face in bewilderment. 

"Bad dream." Sonny says, rubbing Mike's back.

"No." Mike says. Sonny frowns. "It--. That was real." 

Sonny tries his best not to look too disappointed. Not at Mike, but at the world in general. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asks.

Mike shakes his head. He sits upright so that Sonny can sit down next to him, but he tucks his legs up in front of him and hugs Sergeant Dogs to his tummy.

"If you change your mind…"

Mike nods, letting Sonny pull him into his side and idly pet his hair. Mike notices the pacifier on the table and reaches forward to grab it, but Sonny shifts as though he's just remembered something.

"Mikey. I have a treat for you." Sonny says, gently removing himself from Mike's grip. "I'll be right back."

When Sonny returns, he sets a small dipping bowl onto the coffee table, and Mike's eyes widen in excitement. Sonny holds up a finger and gently prizes the pacifier from Mike's grip.

"You have to let me do it though, okay? It's bad for your teeth if you have too much." Sonny watches Mike nod slowly, and smiles. "Alright."

Sonny dips the teat of the pacifier into the bowl, generously covering both sides in sugar, before lifting it back up to Mike with his mouth hanging open patiently. Sonny smiles and pops it in, watching with great amusement how Mike happily enjoys it, a much more pleasing sight than the bad dream from moments earlier.

After a few more moments, Mike looks up at Sonny expectantly, then glances to the sugar bowl, and back at Sonny. Sonny laughs heartily and pushes the bowl away from them.

"Not yet Mikey. I bet you can still taste that sugar." Sonny watches the pacifier move more vigorously than usual as Mike makes sure all the sugar is gone. Then Mike looks back up at him, mumbling; 'all gone'. Sonny sighs and shakes his head. Looks like he's going to be a pushover.

Sonny takes the pacifier and dips it again, and when Mike takes it back he curls up into Sonny's body and closes his eyes.

"Sleepy now, huh?" Sonny smirks. "You'll be the first baby in the world who goes to  _ sleep _ on sugar."

Mike just hums a contented sigh, grabbing Sergeant Dogs from his side and adding it to the cuddle pile they've created on the couch. It occurs to Sonny they're probably not going to be moving from this spot any time soon, but he's okay with that. This will be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading 🌼🤟


	3. Art chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is this allowed?? Shrug... anyway I drew this while procrastinating actually writing a chapter... :)

Oh Ao3 is mad at me for not writing anything ^^;;

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed <33


End file.
